To Hell and Back (Episode 1, Audio Only) | Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
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An episode of Fela Kuti: Fear No ManNext episode: Becoming Fela (Episode 2, Audio Only) | Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
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About this episode
Before he became the Black President of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti was just a name whispered in the halls of Lagos high schools. In this powerful opening episode, host Jad Abumrad introduces us to Dele Sosimi — once a teenage pianist who found his voice and his healing through Fela’s music after surviving unimaginable loss.
As Dele’s story unfolds, we see how Fela’s art became a form of therapy, rebellion, and liberation — not just for one boy, but for a generation of Nigerians living through corruption, violence, and revolution. With rare archival tape, musical performances, and emotional first-hand accounts, Hell and Back sets the stage for a journey into how music can become both a refuge and a weapon.
About Fela Kuti: Fear No Man:
From Higher Ground Audio and Audible Originals comes an epic new documentary podcast from Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab and Dolly Parton’s America.
In a world on fire, what can art do? Fela Kuti: Fear No Man explores the life, music, and radical spirit of the Nigerian icon who invented Afrobeat — a sound that fused funk, jazz, and resistance into one of the most explosive musical movements of the 20th century.
Through vivid storytelling, original interviews, and rich archival sound, Jad Abumrad traces how Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s music became both a cultural revolution and a spiritual weapon. Featuring insights from Fela’s friends, family, and collaborators — and voices like Questlove, Ayo Edebiri, and even President Obama — this series asks: can music truly change the world?
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- Posted by
- Higher Ground Productions, the YouTube channel of HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS, on 2025-10-15
- Rights holder
- HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS, whose own site links this channel (checked 2026-10-31)
- Length
- 39 min
- Where it plays
- Wherever YouTube plays: its rights holder sets no limit
- Made for kids
- No, as YouTube designates it
- Language
- English, as YouTube records it
- What it is
- A full episode, as its rights holder calls it
- Who can watch here
- Adult profiles and older: no rating is recorded on YouTube, so adults only. How these videos are chosen
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